Product Description

Of the many authors who have turned their hands to the creation of 'supernatural sleuths', few have been so colourful, and as contradictory, as Dion Fortune. She was, in her time, a highly significant and influential figure within spiritualistic circles: a one-time member of the Order of the Golden Dawn, she left it to create another society, the Fraternity of the Inner Light, which (under another name) still exists today; and which refuses to discuss her. During the 1920s and 1930s she wrote books, pamphlets, and articles about her spiritual philosophies and various sociological and sexual issues, including vegetarianism, the servant problem, and contraception.

She also turned her hand to fiction, writing novels which contained such elements as black and white magic, the great god Pan, astral bodies, reincarnation, and the lost city of Atlantis. When she died in 1946, Fortune left her final novel, MOON MAGIC, uncompleted; the last two chapters are said to have been dictated by her from beyond to one of the Inner Light mediums.

Her first work of fiction, however, was THE SECRETS OF DR TAVERNER, first published in 1926. The stories concern some of the psychic adventures of the Holmes-like Taverner, as narrated by his assistant, Dr Rhodes. In addition to containing the eleven stories from the first edition, this volume also includes a twelfth Dr Taverner tale, 'A Son of the Night', which was not published until some years after Fortune's death, and which has been the cause of some speculation regarding its authorship. In his lengthy introduction, Jack Adrian examines the enigma who was Dion Fortune, and provides a possible solution to the question of which real person served as the basis for Dr Taverner.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #609746 in Books
• Published on: 1989-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 248 pages

About the Author
Dion Fortune was the name Violet Firth used in pursuit of her magical work. As the head of the Society of Inner Light, she dominated magic circles in England during the first half of the 20th century. She also wrote prolifically. This set of short stories rank among the best of esoteric short fiction ever produced.

Customer Reviews

Great Occult Novel
This is an interesting and an entertaining book. Basically its with a guy (Dr. Rhodes) who works with Dr. Taverner who helps people according to his esoteric training where other more conventional methods fail in helping people. He is the witness of many of Taverner's techniques and so he is like an eye witness to the workings of the occult. Also Taverner has to battle against people who use the occult for purely personal gain. If you have some understanding of occult methods you will be able to grasp some of the things Dr. Rhodes is witness to. The Tree of Life by Israel Regardie is a great introduction to the Magical technique.

good book
It's an interesting book. The author claims that a lot in the book came from real experiences.....spooky :)

Occult Fiction
I would compare Dion Fortune favorably to Aleister Crowley. She was an associate of his in her time, and her texts and fiction hold up well compared to Crowley, who was easily the best and most controversial occult figure in more modern times. Though Fortune, like Crowley, also inherited some of his problems- most of her fiction and others is knee deep in pre equal rights movement racism and can be imposing, putting off anyone who wasn't in the author's elite inner circle, the same inner circle that is still shrouding its practices in mystery despite a renewed popular interest today. While anyone who has real knowledge of the occult can do the paperwork to get stuck with a low end membership, it is nearly impossible to become the group's leader unless you form such a group yourself. Names of group members were often hidden or disguised to protect the rich and famous. The book reminded me of Crowley's Simon Iff stories, with Dr. Taverner being the lead character in a series of mysteries. These books are easy to read but can be hard to find, and they still restrict its members because every man and every woman is a star? Fortune is sort of a female equivalent of Aleister Crowley.